J. Edgar was a master of deceit
The Alberton Papers, Vol. V, #X
By Dick Darne 12-16-07
This week we will explore the effects of a book that scared me, or I should say played to my fears. No, it was not a Steven King book, but rather one written by a self styled American hero, J. Edgar Hoover, "Masters of Deceit" It was the late ‘50s when I came into possession of a copy and sat down and read it. At this point I should explain my background and origins.
I was born in 1940 in Washington, D.C. and lived in Virginia, both of which were below the Mason- Dixon line and certainly within what is now known as "The Beltway". The short version is, I started life as a red-neck, right- wing whacko, bigoted, red blooded, commie hating American boy. J. Edgar was an American hero, he would never lie, now would he?
At the time I thought a font of wisdom had been imparted to my young brain. I didn’t know that at that very time, all the "sleeper cells" were in place, commies had infiltrated into all critical positions and just waiting for the signal and the good old U.S.A. would be no more. Suspect everyone, the walls have ears, watch your teachers, neighbors, storekeepers, friends, relatives and especially your atheist uncle. I had always thought that being an atheist meant you could throw a baseball with either hand but now I knew to watch him too. I learned how to recognize the signs that meant someone might be a commie and contact the only people that could be trusted, J.Edgar Hoover and his trusted agents. I had become a man now, I had important work to do, eyes and ears open, lips zipped until time to report.
Soon we were in the ‘60s and it even though it all didn’t register for a while truth was beginning to seep out. I blocked out most of it, I was even a "Hard- Hat for Nixon", you didn’t dare discuss these things with your fellow workers but we were busy anyway watching each other, or trying to outdo each other in the bar with tough talking rhetoric. One little spark of sanity was alive though, my Momma was no commie, and I wouldn’t have turned her in anyway.
40 some years later I had the pleasure of repairing the heating system for a retired Professor and after I told him I was retiring, we got to talking about various social issues and books we had read. He told me that he had marched with Martin Luther King and I told him how I had read about the files he kept on people and about this experience of reading J.Edgars book. His response was: Evil, evil, evil man. Not everyone rates 3 evils.
Ah, the politics of fear. To some who embrace it, the bad guys have already won. All that’s left is for them to wet their pants. Don’t buy into it .Wake up sheeple and think. We are better than fear mongers and zombies. dd
By Dick Darne 12-16-07
This week we will explore the effects of a book that scared me, or I should say played to my fears. No, it was not a Steven King book, but rather one written by a self styled American hero, J. Edgar Hoover, "Masters of Deceit" It was the late ‘50s when I came into possession of a copy and sat down and read it. At this point I should explain my background and origins.
I was born in 1940 in Washington, D.C. and lived in Virginia, both of which were below the Mason- Dixon line and certainly within what is now known as "The Beltway". The short version is, I started life as a red-neck, right- wing whacko, bigoted, red blooded, commie hating American boy. J. Edgar was an American hero, he would never lie, now would he?
At the time I thought a font of wisdom had been imparted to my young brain. I didn’t know that at that very time, all the "sleeper cells" were in place, commies had infiltrated into all critical positions and just waiting for the signal and the good old U.S.A. would be no more. Suspect everyone, the walls have ears, watch your teachers, neighbors, storekeepers, friends, relatives and especially your atheist uncle. I had always thought that being an atheist meant you could throw a baseball with either hand but now I knew to watch him too. I learned how to recognize the signs that meant someone might be a commie and contact the only people that could be trusted, J.Edgar Hoover and his trusted agents. I had become a man now, I had important work to do, eyes and ears open, lips zipped until time to report.
Soon we were in the ‘60s and it even though it all didn’t register for a while truth was beginning to seep out. I blocked out most of it, I was even a "Hard- Hat for Nixon", you didn’t dare discuss these things with your fellow workers but we were busy anyway watching each other, or trying to outdo each other in the bar with tough talking rhetoric. One little spark of sanity was alive though, my Momma was no commie, and I wouldn’t have turned her in anyway.
40 some years later I had the pleasure of repairing the heating system for a retired Professor and after I told him I was retiring, we got to talking about various social issues and books we had read. He told me that he had marched with Martin Luther King and I told him how I had read about the files he kept on people and about this experience of reading J.Edgars book. His response was: Evil, evil, evil man. Not everyone rates 3 evils.
Ah, the politics of fear. To some who embrace it, the bad guys have already won. All that’s left is for them to wet their pants. Don’t buy into it .Wake up sheeple and think. We are better than fear mongers and zombies. dd
posted by aldermandarne | 10:10 PM
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